Nelson - Motueka

After the hike, it's known that before the next hike there is a break, and I was already eyeing the next multi-day hike: the Abel Tasman Coastal Track. Before that, I wanted to take a two-day break and drove to Nelson. On the way there through the Marlborough Sounds, I saw vineyards for the first time. If you believe the guidebook, some of New Zealand's best wines come from this area.

On the last 10 km from Todds Valley to Nelson, you drive right along the coast, which was beautiful! A few kilometers before Nelson, I finally had the chance to stop and take some photos. I had set out with just my phone, but then decided to go back and get the camera. On the way back to the car, a dog barked at me from a front yard, and the owner immediately apologized to me. We briefly chatted, and when he found out I was from Germany, he was really pleased. He had been there a few times himself and always enjoyed it very much.

That was really nice to hear because Ken painted a very different picture of Germans. Apparently, it's mainly spoiled young German men who are responsible for the introduction of self-contained camper stickers several years ago. They apparently just threw their trash everywhere and did their business wherever they happened to be. Everyone knows what a turn-off it is to see toilet paper in the landscape.

And to be honest, I believed Ken. I am in a WhatsApp group with about 1,000 other Germans who have been, are, or will be in New Zealand, and almost every week there were questions (mostly from men) like: 'I have to pay a $200 fine because I was driving 92km/h in a 30-zone, but I'm leaving New Zealand soon. I think I'll just ignore the ticket. What do you all say?' Or: 'I have to pay a $400 fine because I camped in an area where freedom camping is prohibited. How can I fight this fine?' Or: 'The trail to Cathedral Cove is closed, but I don't want to pay for a water taxi or kayak. Is there any way to bypass the barriers?' I find it simply disrespectful; after all, we are guests here! Luckily, such messages are immediately deleted by the admins now.

In Nelson, I also visited the Centre of New Zealand, the geographical center of New Zealand, in the evening and got advice the next day from a staff member at the DOC center regarding the Abel Tasman Coastal Track. From him, I received the insider knowledge I had been hoping for and subsequently booked overnight stays in Anapai Bay, Bark Bay, and Te Pukatea Bay instead of the campsites in Tōtaranui, Onetahuti, and Anchorage. The latter are said to be much smaller and consequently more beautiful than those I had selected myself.

Additionally, I visited the Christ Church Cathedral and The Suter Art Gallery in Nelson. The Christ Church Cathedral was the first cathedral in New Zealand and was currently hosting a Christmas tree exhibition. All kinds of organizations, clubs, and schools had decorated and displayed Christmas trees there, and some of them were really crazy specimens. Unfortunately, I didn't have much time to look around because all visitors had to leave the cathedral due to wedding preparations shortly after I arrived.

In the afternoon, I continued on to Motueka and visited the wreck of the Janie Saddon, built in Scotland. This ship was named after the daughter of Richard Saddon, who was Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1893 until his death in 1906. Otherwise, not much happens in Motueka, but it is a good starting point for hiking in Abel Tasman National Park.